Pocket full of coins
by CherishCherries
Summary: A collection of drabbles and vignettes. #8 - Bounties: Chopper. "As far as pets go, the creature wouldn't be his first choice: it's small, fluffy and almost derangedly loveable with its tiny blue nose, black button eyes and that ridiculously big pink top hat." (K, no warnings)
1. Stupidity (K, no warnings)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Bellemere, Smoker

**Genre**: Humor

**Warnings**: None

**Rating**: G

**Notes:** Unbeta'd

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**#1 – Stupid**

She was young, just old enough to volunteer and thick-headed enough to still believe she could do this on her own terms. Three months and they had yet to wipe that sassy grin off her face or make her question her rotten, cocky attitude. She could have been pretty if it weren't for that haircut: the sides shaved off and what remained of her rich wine-red hair in a long ponytail, like an overgrown Mohawk running across the middle of the skull. She rolled her cigarettes without even looking and he didn't even know what her face looked like without the little white roll of tobacco dangling from her lips.

Smoker thought they were a league of their own. That was probably the reason why they were both stuck scrubbing bathroom floors with their toothbrushes.

"Belle," he acknowledged gruffly, setting down his bucket of water. The woman kneeling on the cold tile floor smirked. "What did you do this time?"

"You know, I haven't the faintest," she replied, bemusement evident in her voice. "What do you call it when you tell your sergeant he smells like the rear end of a seaking and looks like it, too?"

Smoker thoughtfully dipped his toothbrush into the soapy water. "Stupid," he finally said.

Their laughter reverberated off the bathroom's tiled walls.


	2. The right of cowardice (K, no warnings)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Strawhats

**Genre**: General

**Warnigns**: None

**Rating**: K

**Notes:** Does anyone else feel that Nami lost some of her edge halfway through the series? An attempt to explain (poorly).

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**#2 – The right of cowardice**

Nami had earned the right of cowardice.

It was an unspoken agreement between them, them being Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Lysop: the eldest crew members who had fought and bled for the navigator in ways she would have never been able to. This entitlement didn't come with being a girl. It didn't come with being a pretty girl, either, and it wasn't a perk that came with having been one of the first ones; the ones who had been the start of a journey that took them far out of the familiar waters of their home oceans and thrust them deep into adventure and dangers they'd never imagined, chasing their dreams.

The right of cowardice - Nami had, beyond a shadow of a doubt, earned it.

She had earned it with the spilling of tears and blood; with the endurance of mental and physical wounds, now ugly and scarred; through the display of strength and courage; through sacrifices greater than any a child should be forced to make. It was a hard-earned right; earned in ways _they_ would have never been able to, never would have been _willing_ to.

Cowardice - it wasn't the kind of thing that crossed Luffy's mind; wasn't the kind of thing Zoro would allow to impair his fighting; wasn't something Lysop truly wanted, although he had plenty of it; was nothing that Sanji could tolerate when a beautiful girl was in danger; except Nami was a coward in the truest sense of the word unless she couldn't afford to be.

Because when the chips were down, they flared back to life: the courage and strength that had carried her through 8 years of what could be called only 'slavery' or 'hell'.

When the chips were down, truly _down_, Nami could and would go the distance: be brave (for them); be strong (_because of_ them).

Even if she didn't want to (because a lady should never be required to fight; that's what a gentleman like Sanji was there for).

Even if she didn't know what to do (which was rare; Lysop was certain he didn't know what to do on a far more regular basis than her, after all).

Even if she was scared (although Zoro thought she had no reason to - she had stood against far more terrifying opponents with even less of a fighting chance and had refused to cower or surrender long before they'd found each other).

Even if she had to face them all alone (but she would never really have to because she was Luffy's nakama and being nakama was one of the few things he took serious; one of the few things _worth_ being serious about).

She would be brave and fight. She would be strong and victorious. She would dare and risk herself the way she had over two years ago when she had tried to protect them from the brutality of Arlong Park.

But when the chips weren't down, when the situation was bad or challenging, but not dire - then Nami was more than welcome to be cowardly and scared.

Because Sanji would gladly fight in her stead.

Because Lysop knew how to cover her getaway (as well as his own).

Because Zoro didn't mind taking her fears apart bit by bit.

Because now that Luffy had made it clear that they were _nakama_ - truly and irrevocably - she was no longer alone.

She could be scared as much as she wanted to be and comfortably fall back into the net of their courage and loyalty.

Nami had earned the right of cowardice - and she was damn well going to make use of it.


	3. Faustian Bargain I (M, torture, death)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Trafalgar Law, Doquixote Doflamingo

**Genre**: Drama

**Warnings**: Torture, death, Doflamingo

**Rating**: M

**Notes**: Who hasn't wondered how Trafalger Law ended up in Doflamingo's crew. This would be my version.

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**#3 - Faustian Bargain I**

He's smarter than the average boy his age which is why they took him in the first place. He's even smarter than the average man of _His_ age, but he knows better than to point it out.

And in any case he's smart enough to not spare a second glance towards the rapidly cooling bodies of his mother and brother and instead keeps his gaze fixed onto the two cowering men. His expression is blank as he stands next to _Him_, a direct contrast to that cold amused grin.

They have no mutual need of each other. It is rather heavily one-sided on his end because they can and probably will find a dozen little boys like himself whereas his chances of finding someone else to offer him freedom and life after having been caught by slave traders are non-existent. Yet, he hesitates and this is because he is smart.

The boy knows a devil when he sees it because although not as widely acknowledged, pink feathers and gleaming sunglasses are just as diabolical as a forked tail and pitchfork. _He_ is as diabolical as a man can be and that is exactly who he is to Law. The Devil.

He may be only a little boy, but he has already memorized (and understood) the tale of Dr. Faustus. There are precisely two ways to escape the Devil's clutches, but refusing the proffered deal is not an option because he wants to live.

Any form of faith into a higher, benevolent power coming to his aid eludes him on principle: he's a dreamer but not a fool and there are two bodies lying at his feet which rather bloodily illustrate the risks of foolishness. No, he cannot put his trust into anything or anyone but himself. It's the intelligent thing to do.

Which leaves him with trying to pull the wool over the Devil's eyes and although he is smarter than the average man of _His _age, the Devil standing before him is not an average man. And then there's the part of him, that is a little devil, too, and that reminds him that there is a third way to solve his predicament: become even more of a devil than the one standing before him.

"Well, what do you say, kid?" the tall man says with a carefree grin, as if he hadn't just asked a child to choose between life and death.

Gray eyes meet with tinted sunglasses, a small tanned hand gestures towards the two men (these, at least, are men and not devils, evident by the fear in their eyes) that earned the Devil's scorn.

"Kill them both. But make it slow."

The Devil's grin widens diabolically at the child's forcefully neutral tones. He kneels in front of the boy, voice vibrating with gleeful anticipation as he breathes: "How?"

He casts a look to the side, into empty eyes and a pool of blood. There are the dead, lifeless bodies of his mother and older brother, right in front of him. There's positively lethal knowledge that belies his actual age in the boy's head and a hunger for vengeance throbbing in his chest. And there's the Devil's promise of life and freedom if he can make it worth his while.

"Give me a knife and I show you how," he replies because there are a lot of things you can do to the human body that take it to the brink of death and leave it there for hours, even days, and the little devil in him always wanted to try them out of morbid curiosity.

Getting to do it for the pleasure of hurting those who hurt him is just an added bonus, like their screams and pleas for mercy.

Eye for an eye, he thinks and forces them to scream as much as he did when they ended what was left of his home; makes them bleed for every tear he refuses to sheath. Steady and precise, childish hands guide the blade through fearful flesh. It would be easier with a sharp one, but the Devil insists on the rusty, jagged knife he liberated from the dead boy's skull. The two men are soon reduced to crying, sobbing, begging and _bleeding_ bodies and they bore the Devil after a few hours already. But the boy who draws blood, pain and desperation from them with clinical precision and nonchalant cruelty doesn't. The boy _excites_ him. Oh, the possibilities!

"What's your name, boy?"

"Trafalgar Law."

There's a moment of silence in which a black dress shoe prods the smaller of two tanned corpses. Doquixote Doflamingo smirks.

"Let's get you cleaned up, Law. They've made quite a mess, didn't they? And then I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

His smirk is mirrored in the little devil's face.


	4. Fate's flower arrangements (K, Crack)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Gloriosa/Elder Nyon

**Genre**: Romance

**Warnings**: Crack

**Rating**: K

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**#4 - Fate's flower arrangements**

By the time the Oro Jackson finds itself in the waters surrounding Amazon Lily, she's been her tribe's empress for almost a decade. She is still wild, vibrant and deadly - the lily Gloriosa. She represents the Kuja's ideals of beauty and strength, as is becoming of their empress. She upholds the law and her people's teachings, is a fierce and fearless warrior and neither her arrow nor her sword ever miss their aim.

This follows that she is completely unprepared and helpless when the love sickness strikes.

Because like every single empress that came before her Gloriosa hasn't got more than a passing knowledge of the male species. Her only advantage is the fact that her intelligence rivals her beauty and strength. Luck is also a deciding factor in her survival. During her fever induced coma, she keeps calling and begging for the one thing that ails her. Her loyal subjects hurry to supply it in abundance, hoping to save her life. It is during one of her rare lucid moments that the dying empress realizes the truth.

And while her peers believe that she is preparing for that final voyage, Gloriosa prepares for something equally dire and final.

Exile.

But she doesn't know where to go, where to search for the man that caught her heart during the skirmishes between his crew and her people and took it with him after they had agreed on a tentative business relationship of sorts. (Because not even Gloriosa could have resisted _that_ man's smile, no matter how infuriating he was.) And so fate and the seaking calf she caught take her to Sabaody Archipelago, where she stays and waits because she doesn't know that he is searching something and has a place to return to. And even when she learns this, she makes no move to follow him, to look for him.

Because she is still a proud Kuja warrior, even in exile, and she has learned about men and love's humiliations.

She will not be humiliated by a man. She has sacrificed enough of her pride leaving her home.

Her love for him never dies but like a severed appendage it turns into something she learns to live with. And to her eternal relief, no other incites her the way he did. She is safe. Healed. Cured. She will live.

When her newfound friends come to visit, they know well enough not to comment on her habit of placing gloriosa and crocuses in a vase together.

Fate's flower arrangements do not require explanations and neither do Gloriosa's.


	5. Collect the set (K, no warnings)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Gol D. Roger, Silvers Rayleigh, Shanks, Buggy

**Genre**: Humor (weak)

**Warnings**: Predictable

**Rating**: K

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**#5 - Collect the set**

The question isn't whether they need a cabin boy. It's not even a question of whether they need _two_ cabin boys. It's also not "Do we even have room for two cabin boys?" because there are many reasons to let them aboard and they can always make room for what they believe is necessary as a general rule.

Both of them are young and vibrant, eager for adventure. That is one reason.

In the water, they move like fishes: fast and precise, unafraid of the sea's inhabitants, familiar with its treacherous currents while submerged in it. It helps, that neither of them seems to have a wish to obtain a devil fruit.

They can row a boat and are quick to climb the ship's riggings in an effort to proof their worth, although a storm is blowing. Or maybe that's the reason they took to it in the first place. Recklessness is a common trait in their nakama, after all.

They possess fighting skills that surpass most young men their age living at their home town. They will need to learn a lot before they can take on the Grand Line by themselves, but they _are_ asking to join as crew members, not passengers and nothing builds fighting prowess quite like fighting does. Besides, all of them had had to learn.

They have a genuine and deep-rooted respect and affection for each other, although the funny looking boy tries hard to hide it. It shows when they fight, however, side by side, daggers and sabre at the ready like they've done it a hundred times before and came out on top.

No one questions whether or not they can hold their liquor - if they can't right now, they certainly will be able to after a month on board.

The question isn't if they can make it, either, because only time and their ability and willingness to learn can answer that question.

The question is –

_"Now look here, Buggy, the egg had to come first. No egg, no chicken! It's easy like that!"_

_"No, you flashy fool! The chicken had to come first! No chicken, no egg!"_

_"Egg!"_

_"Chicken!"_

- is... –

_"I'm bored. Hey Rayleigh, let's slow down and see whether Garp catches up!"_

_"We just got away! What are you? Stupid?!"_

_"No, I'm bored! Weren't you listening?"_

_"Then do something productive!"_

_"That's what I'm trying, but you won't let me!"_

- is whether the crew really needed more than one set of trouble makers.


	6. That big haul (K, no warnings)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Johnny, Yosaku, Genzo, Doctor Nako

**Genre**: Humor

**Warnings**: Parental protectiveness, over excessive use of run-on sentences, repetitions and denial for the sake of survival

**Rating**: K

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**#6 - That big haul**

It's a big one and it's going to feed them for a while. The pay for this is going to be exceptionally well and they can finally fix the roof of their little hut, just in time before the storms start up again. Probably, they can even afford to buy a gift or two.

Not that there's anyone to whom one or both of them could or would want to give a gift in the first place for whatever reasons.

It's certainly _not_ a competition of sorts with the object to obtain anyone's affections.

No, sir, perish the thought!

If, for some reason, they will end up buying shiny trinkets which might please a certain other person in which there is or might be an interest going beyond the boundaries of friendship, there definitely is _no_ such person existing on this particular island first and foremost. Genzo is (and has been) very adamant about the lack of existence of such a person, basically a non-person, being understood beyond a doubt and ever since they've given up bounty hunting to be fishers, they've made sure it was understood that they understood things that were to be understood. Understood?

It is important to keep in mind that apart from the fact that no person exists on the island in which either of them has any interest at all that goes beyond the barely acceptable boundaries of friendship, such a non-person is most certainly _not_ an inhabitant of Cocoyashi Village nor is such a non-existent non-person of the female persuasion or in fact part of what Genzo considers his family. This is a huge point of concern, too, because Doctor Nako makes it a point to point this out whenever certain young fishers who need to have the obvious pointed out to them regularly at needle point come for his assistance and the old man makes excellent points when he points them into the right direction, that is to say _away_ from any non-existent non-female non-islanders or non-inhabitants of Cocoyashi Village that Genzo does not consider himself to be somewhat of a parent to or on which Doctor Nako does not feel obliged to keep tabs and in whom there is most definitely not an interest of any sort that goes even so far as a hair's breadth beyond friendship. The doctor's point is made _and_ taken. Pointedly so.

In fact, going so far as to imply that in the _extremely unlikely_ event that this non-existent non-female non-person, who is neither part of Genzo's non-existent non-family nor even remotely close to being a non-person that Doctor Nako might feel responsible for would _actually_ exist (which of course it doesn't), this non-existent non-female non-person could _possibly become_ subject to anything other but the most polite, professional and respectfully distanced customer relationship, is preposterous! And in any case, this non-existent non-female non-person who is not part of Genzo's non-existent family and not subject to Doctor Nako's sentiments of responsibility, who would of course _not_ be the subject of any unacceptable friendly notions other than the aforementioned most professional customer relationship would and could never, were such a non-existent non-female non-person truly to exist for whatever inane, ludicrous and outrageous reason, ever happen to be Nojiko.

Never ever.

But it's a big haul and it's going to pay well and there can be no harm in making sure that Nojiko knows that they appreciate her continued trust into their upstarting fishing business.

Fish make lousy gifts, anyway, and Nojiko _did_ seem to like those earrings. A lot.


	7. Respectable women (K, no warnings)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Nojiko, Doctor Nako, Genzo

**Genre**: General

**Warnings**: None

**Rating**: K

**Notes:** Because Nojiko is awesome, too.

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**#7 - Respectable women**

The first time she goes to him with the request to inject ink into her skin she clutches a crudely made drawing in her hands that faintly resembles the monstrosity on her sister's shoulder.

He sends her away, ranting and raving at her. He calls her stupid and ungrateful. But when his initial anger fades, Doctor Nako seeks her out to explain why.

Tattoos, he says, are a mark of bad people; not respectable young girls who will grow into respectable women. And doesn't she want to be a respectable woman like her mother was?

Nojiko thinks that Bellemere was many things, but respectable was not one of them. Respectable women don't offer sexual favors to unmarried persons of authority like Gen-san. Respectable women also don't run off to join the Marines or become a deserter to raise two orphans although the guts and dedication a woman needs to make either of these decisions does command one's respect and admiration.

But being a respectable woman is not a prerequisite to being a good person and Nojiko thinks that Bellemere would rather have her good than respectable if she still were around to have a say in it. And then of course there's the whole deal of not knowing how to be a respectable woman when her own mother wasn't one, either. Talk about role models.

Most of all, however, Nojiko refuses to grow up into a respectable woman on account of Nami not being able to and they _are_ sisters, tied together by something stronger than blood. Because just about anyone can be blood-related, but being family means more than that.

So the second time she visits Doctor Nako with a slightly more elaborate design, this is what she tells him.

The result is the same: he sends her away. He claims not to know a thing about tattooing in the first place and then calls her stupid, appealing to her common sense, the works. He enlists the help of Genzo, too, but Nojiko is not deterred.

Three times' the charm, she thinks. She is fifteen now and she's learned a lot. She doesn't ask anymore. She informs him very calmly that he will tattoo her newest design into her skin, because she knows that some of the fishermen on the island owe their blue (and most of the time well-hidden) markings to him. He is the most experienced man for the job and the only one who can provide the necessary hygiene to prevent infection. She touches briefly on the subject of respectability, calmly pointing out that they used to call her mother a 'little thug' and her sister a 'cat' and with a family like that, she doesn't really see how anyone could possibly think she - of all people - might be a respectable woman. And then she casually points out that if he refuses her this time, she will simply ask the fish men, since they obviously have the means and knowledge to do what she wants done.

She leaves with an appointment and the promise of bright blue ink needled into her skin.


	8. Bounties: Chopper (K, no warnings)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own or claim to own the story or associated characters of Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece". No profit is gained from the writing and publishing of this story, no copyright infringement intended. Should this story be deemed offensive by either the legal owners and/or representatives of One Piece, Mr Oda or this website, respectively, the story will of course be taken down immediately with full apologies extended.

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**Characters**: Perona, Zoro, Mihawk, Chopper's wanted poster

**Genre**: General

**Warnings**: Perona being childish; Zoro retaliating, Mihawk being probably un-Mihawkish. Unbeta'd.

**Rating**: K

**Notes:** The one thing I really wanted to see after the time skip was Perona's reaction to Chopper. Since it didn't happen in the manga, I've taken liberties with the actual time skip.

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**#8 – Bounties: Chopper**

Perona smacks the piece of paper onto the table with a fierce expression on her face. "Why can't you be this cute?" she demands accusingly, indicating the picture. Mihawk hazards a glance over the pages of his newspaper and catches sight of the wanted poster of the Straw Hat's pet. Tony Tony Chopper, 50 Berri. As far as pets go, the creature wouldn't be his first choice: it's small, fluffy and almost derangedly loveable with its tiny blue nose, black button eyes and that ridiculously big pink top hat. Someone's been feeding it cotton candy for the picture and the excited expression on the creature's face is almost too much. The only thing worse would be a cat trailed by rainbows. And the bounty is... a bit of a joke.

At least the Heart Pirates have a pet that can tear an enemy to shreds: a trained polar bear is a different caliber entirely.

Zoro ignores the accusation.

Or Perona.

Probably both.

The girl pouts. "I want your pet," she says in a tone, that little children use when they believe it will get them what they want. It has yet to work on either of them, which Perona has yet to understand. Usually, the remark would go uncommented, but not today. How interesting...

"He's not our pet," the swordsman replies gruffly, but Perona doesn't seem to understand.

"I don't care! I want that pet!"

"And I said he's _not_ our pet," the other man retaliates more forcibly and it's the first time he actually looks up from tending to his swords.

"But he's so cute, what else could he be?" Perona squeals, holding the poster close to her heart. There's a slight twitch developing over Zoro's left eye and Mihawk abandons the weather forecast in favor of watching his two houseguests squabble. Up until now, he's always thought of the little creature as a pet of sorts, too.

"He's not cute! He's no pet! He's Chopper and he's a monster!"

The girl begins to shriek her protests, but Zoro's angry roar easily drowns her out. "He's a monster like the rest of us! And now be quiet!"

There's a moment of silence in which the wheels start to slowly turn in Perona's head. There's no denying that the Straw Hats are monsters of a sort to her: after all, they did defeat her precious Gecko Moria and more or less destroyed his Thriller Bark, her home. She is starting to contemplate what hand the 'adorable' creature on the wanted poster had in her misfortune when Mihawk interrupts the quiet.

"A monster worth 50 berri?" he enquires.

Zoro smirks. It's proud and a little arrogant. "You've seen nothing yet," he says.

How very interesting...


End file.
